228 ANIMAL AUTOMATISM y 



contraction of the brow, an incessant movement 

 of the eyeballs, and a chewing motion of the jaws. 

 The eyes are wide open, and their pupils dilated. 

 If the man happens to be in a place to which he 

 is accustomed, he walks about as usual ; but, if he 

 is in a new place, or if obstacles are intentionally 

 placed in his way, he stumbles gently against 

 them, stops, and then, feeling over the objects 

 with his hands, passes on one side of them. He 

 offers no resistance to any change of direction 

 which may be impressed upon him, or to the 

 forcible acceleration or retardation of his move- 

 ments. He eats, drinks, smokes, walks about, 

 dresses and undresses himself, rises and goes to 

 bed at the accustomed hours. Nevertheless, pins 

 may be run into his body, or strong electric shocks 

 sent through it, without causing the least indica- 

 tion of pain ; no odorous substance, pleasant or 

 unpleasant, makes the least impression ; he eats 

 and drinks with avidity whatever is offered, and 

 takes asafcetida, or vinegar, or quinine, as readily 

 as water ; no noise affects him ; and light influences 

 him only under certain conditions. Dr. Mesnet 

 remarks, that the sense of touch alone seems to 

 persist, and indeed to be more acute and delicate 

 than in the normal state : and it is by means of 

 the nerves of touch, almost exclusively, that his 

 organism is brought into relation with the external 

 world. Here a difficulty arises. It is clear from 

 the facts detailed, that the nervous apparatus by 



